The Hunter's Mate Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.

  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by LATIN GODDESS PRESS INC.. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Sassy Ever After remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of LATIN GODDESS PRESS INC., or their affiliates or licensors.

  For more information on Kindle Worlds: http://www.amazon.com/kindleworlds

  Sassy Ink 2

  The Hunter’s Mate

  Christina Benjamin

  Text copyright © 2017 by the Author.

  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by LATIN GODDESS PRESS INC.. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Sassy Ever After remain the exclusive copyrighted and/ or trademarked property of LATIN GODDESS PRESS INC., or their affiliates or licensors.

  For more information on Kindle Worlds:

  http://www.amazon.com/kindleworlds

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Also by Christina Benjamin

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Etti

  Etti walked outside to find Greyson West waiting for her. He was wearing jeans that hugged his ass and a grey v-neck tee that clung to his muscles. He had a pack slung over one shoulder and smiled when he saw her. Grey lifted his sunglasses to take her in, pinning her with his smoldering gaze. She still couldn’t believe the sexy wolf shifter was all hers. God bless the mating bond.

  “You ready, babe?” Grey asked.

  Christ, would she ever get used to hearing him call her babe? It made her want to crawl back under the covers with him immediately.

  Etti tried to get a grip on her lusty imagination as she hooked her arm through Grey’s and returned his grin. For once the world seemed like a very big place full of endless possibilities, and she was never more ready to explore it than she was now at Grey’s side. She just had one little thing to get off her chest first. Well, it was little now, but it wouldn’t be for long.

  Etti needed to get this over with before she lost her nerve. “I have something to ask you, Grey” she said as they started their hike into the woods.

  He raised a dark eyebrow.

  “How do you feel about kids?” Etti asked tentatively.

  “Kids?”

  “Yeah, ya know, tiny humans?”

  Grey barked a laugh, shaking his head. “I know what kids are, Etti.”

  “Well, you were raised by wolves,” she teased trying to add some of her signature sarcasm to drown out her nerves.

  “I think kids are great. But it’s a little early to be talking about that, isn’t it?”

  Etti’s heart plummeted and before she could object, Grey added, “But our kids would be especially adorable, wouldn’t they?”

  His grin soothed her.

  “They would,” she murmured. “Especially if they got your eyes.”

  “And your hair.” Grey smiled tugging on Etti’s long black braid.

  She couldn’t help but smile. Her heart was swelling with joy. Against all odds she’d found her mate and escaped the clan of rogues hell bent on keeping them apart—for now.

  And if that weren’t enough, she was carrying Grey’s baby. She knew he would love their child. She could see it in his eyes. She just had to muster up the courage to tell him that parenthood was coming sooner than they planned.

  Before Etti could get the words out, Grey was kissing her, and then scooping her up in his arms. He palmed her ass, forcing her to wrap her legs around him as his kiss deepened. “I just got you back, babe,” Grey murmured. “I want you to myself for a little while before we talk kids.”

  “But—”

  Grey kissed away Etti’s objections. His kisses always unfurled a heat wave of passion within her, but today it was extraordinary. Etti didn’t know if it was the keen senses of her newfound shifter abilities or the pregnancy, but every stroke of Grey’s tongue against hers ratcheted a fire in her core.

  Etti ran her fingers through Grey’s thick, dark hair, clawing them down the coiled muscles of his back. Mine! Her body roared as a frenzy to mark her mate took over erasing all other thoughts from her mind. She pulled his shirt over his head so she could feel his hot skin against hers.

  “Easy, babe. I’ve got a full day of ecstasy planned for you,” Grey promised.

  “I don’t want to wait,” Etti whimpered as Grey kissed the hollow of her throat, moving slowly toward her aching breasts.

  Every cell of her body was screaming for his attention and she suddenly felt like her clothes were strangling her.

  “I want you now,” Etti demanded, unbuttoning her borrowed flannel shirt.

  She wanted to forget the frustrating little buttons and just shred the damn thing but she knew her best friend Wes, wouldn’t be to happy about it. He’d been reluctant to even let her borrow it after she’d shredded her own clothes during her shift. Etti gave up on the buttons and managed to tear the shirt over her head.

  “Damn babe, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I love it,” Grey growled, his eyes glowing as he took in Etti’s bare chest.

  Her large breasts were fuller than usual and more sensitive too. Pregnancy hormones were no joke! The rush of cool air over her skin made her nipples pucker and when Grey licked hot circles over them she could barely contain herself. She moaned and arched her back, pushing more of her into his mouth.

  “You like that?” Grey teased her with slow flicks of his tongue over her tender buds.

  “Yes,” she moaned as he sucked one nipple into his mouth gently grazing it with his teeth.

  “Tell me what you want, babe.”

  “I want you. Now,” Etti whispered, tugging at Grey’s belt buckle.

  He grinned wickedly. “Then that’s what you’re gonna get.”

  Grey batted Etti’s fumbling hands away and made fast work of the rest of their clothes. Before she knew it she was sprawled naked beneath him in the quiet woods. God, she loved her man. He was fast when necessary and slow when she wanted him to be. And she could tell from the way h
e was teasing her now that Grey was going to take his sweet time with her.

  She trembled with anticipation as he caressed her body with his tongue. He paused between her quivering thighs, working her into a frenzy, but never letting her go over the edge. It was a torture Etti would subject herself to daily if given the choice and she vocalized her bliss with approving moans that kept Grey on task.

  He was up to the challenge, following her demanding orders for more. She was throbbing with desire when Grey gazed up at her, breathing her in deeply. “God, I love your scent, Etti. Even more now than ever.”

  Fear swept through her. Did he know? Cali had been able to scent her pregnancy. But she was a shifter nurse, trained for such things. Etti hoped she’d have more time to get Grey to warm up to the idea of parenthood. She selfishly wanted more time with him too—more time for just the two of them to get to know each other—more time to do this. But this pregnancy was here and now. And it was apparent from the intense sensations coursing through her body that she wouldn’t be able to hide it for long.

  “You smell like you’re mine,” Grey panted still gazing at her.

  “I am yours,” Etti murmured.

  “Say it again,” Grey growled crawling up her trembling body. He pressed himself hard against her entrance.

  Etti grinned impishly. “Make me.”

  Grey slammed home, sheathing his hard length inside of her.

  Etti cried out in ecstasy. She was all talk, screaming his name and calling him a god in a matter of seconds. She quivered around his shaft as he branded her, root to tip, over and over again. Pleasure erupted inside Etti until all she could do was cling to Grey, arching against his rigid muscles as he filled her with wave after wave of release.

  Chapter 2

  Greyson

  Grey was still panting when Etti climbed on top of him with a sly grin.

  “Again?” she whimpered gently peppering his salty skin with kisses.

  He fisted her silken black hair and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. “Damn, babe. Give me a chance to catch my breath.”

  She whined softly, her dark eyes glimmering with mischief as she stroked his length. “Keep up old man,” she teased.

  “I’m only a few months older than you,” he growled, flipping Etti onto her back. “And I’d say I’m keeping up just fine,” Grey replied, pressing his solid length against her belly.

  Etti wriggled beneath him with excitement, stroking his ego.

  Grey grinned. How had he gotten so lucky? His mate was so incredibly beautiful and sexy. And she loved him! It was still beyond him how quickly he and Etti had fallen for each other. But that’s what happened with mates. Both novice shifters, Grey and Etti still had a lot to figure out, but this—the blinding hot sex—they had mastered.

  It made Grey thankful that he and Etti would have time to sort through everything else together. Yes, they’d escaped the hunt for now. But he knew better than to think the rogue shifter faction was done with them. But if they were lucky, they’d have a year before they had to worry about them again.

  The idea sparked a joy within Grey that he hadn’t known he possessed. He gazed down at Etti. One long blissful year of this. Etti gripped his length, tugging him back to the present and reminding him to enjoy this delicious moment while he could.

  Grey happily obliged, caging Etti’s sexy curves with his muscular arms. He sunk into her slowly, making her gasp with pleasure. She bit her lip as he fixed her with a stare. His eyes roved over the artful black ink that twisted delicately over her smooth caramel skin. Her tattoos were almost as gorgeous as she was and Grey wanted to taste every perfect inch of her skin. He couldn’t get enough. “God, Etti . . .”

  “What?” She grinned, wiggling her hips, taking him deeper.

  “The things I want to do to you,” he growled.

  “Promise?” she begged writhing against him.

  “You know I do,” he whispered, sliding his arms under her back and pulling her on top of him.

  Grey settled his mate astride him and Etti gasped as she adjusted to the new position. He liked her on top, where he could see all of her. He splayed his hands over her breasts, caressing them before sliding his fingers down her sides to her voluptuous hips. His hands held her firmly in place when she tried to rush things.

  “We have plenty of time for this,” he said. “I want to explore each other, just the two of us.”

  “We might not have as much time as you think,” Etti said quietly.

  Grey stilled. “What do you mean?” Etti paled and Grey scented her fear. “Etti, if you’re worried about the hunt—”

  “It’s not the hunt,” she said, suddenly angry. She climbed off of him in a huff and grabbed her clothes.

  Grey was stunned. It took him a moment to catch up to Etti’s sudden mood swing. One minute they were having mind-blowing sex, the next she was storming away! By the time he got to his feet, Etti was dressed.

  “Babe . . .” he started. “What’s wrong?” Because it was evident something was definitely wrong from the way Etti was pacing.

  She was normally calm and level-headed—something he loved about her. But she was currently chewing her lip and wringing her hands, while he quickly pulled his pants on—since it seemed sex was off the table.

  “Etti,” Grey said, taking hold of her shoulders so she would stop pacing and look at him. “What just happened?”

  She looked at him with so much fear in her midnight eyes that he worried whatever she was about to tell him would cripple him. He hated seeing his mate so upset. Instinct made him pull her into his embrace even when she fought it. “Etti, please talk to me. You know whatever it is we’ll get through it together.”

  She shook her head and tears spilled from her watery eyes.

  Shit! This was bad. Etti never cried.

  Grey took her face gently in his large hands. “Etti, sweetheart. I love you. And I promise, whatever it is, we can handle it. It’s me and you, babe, forever. Okay?”

  “But it’s not!” She cried harder and pushed him away.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s not just you and me anymore! And I’m sorry because I know this isn’t what you want right now, but it’s not like I planned for it either!” Etti yelled.

  What the hell was she talking about? Nothing Etti was saying was making sense, but Grey’s wolf was snarling inside, wanting out to fight off whatever had his mate so agitated.

  Grey was at a loss, but he kept trying. “Etti, I don’t understand . . .” he reached for her but she grabbed his hand and pressed it to her stomach.

  “I’m pregnant,” she whispered.

  Icy fear stabbed Grey in the chest and he stumbled, sinking to his knees, his hand still on Etti’s smooth belly. “Pregnant?” he mumbled, only able to repeat the word as it sunk in with alarming speed.

  She couldn’t be. Not now! How could he even think about bringing a child into the world when a cursed group of shifters was hunting him and his mate?

  This was bad.

  Grey couldn’t catch his breath, and as much as his brain tried to deny it, as soon as he felt his mate’s stomach he knew it as true. He added a second trembling hand to Eddi’s belly, sliding it low, beneath the waist of her pants. It seemed to swell beneath his touch. Christ, could he already feel the heartbeat? How fast did shifter embryos grow?

  “Please say something,” Etti whispered in a scared voice.

  Grey pulled his hands back and ran them through his hair as he sank back on his heels. “Shit.”

  “Shit? Really? Shit is all you have to say about your child?”

  “Christ, Etti. I don’t know. It’s a lot to take in, alright?”

  “No shit! Why do you think I’m freaking out? What are we going to do?”

  “There’s not really anything we can do, is there?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know what you want me to say. Nothing’s gonna make this situation any better.”


  “So that’s what it is to you? A situation?”

  “Etti, no—”

  “No, it’s fine,” she hissed cutting him off. “I was stupid to expect anything different. I mean we’ve only known each other a few weeks and we didn’t plan this. But at least I know where you stand. So don’t worry, I won’t bother you with my situation again.”

  Chapter 3

  Etti

  Etti shifted before giving Grey a chance to respond. She hadn’t even realized she wanted to shift, but instinct took over. Her wolf needed out. She needed to run and get as far away from her mate as she could before any more damage was done.

  As it was, Etti’s heart felt broken and she didn’t want to break down in front of Grey. If he didn’t want her and her child now, seeing her have an epic meltdown wasn’t going to help.

  She ran aimlessly through the woods, her lungs burning from excursion and despair. Etti kept picturing the grave look on Grey’s face when he realized she was pregnant. She’d expected him to be shocked, but had hoped he’d be supportive. She’d only had a few hours for the news to sink in herself, but already she’d grown attached to the idea of having a baby with the man she loved. But that false hope evaporated when she’d seen the look on his face.

  Etti couldn’t really blame Grey. She’d sort of sprung the news on him, but she didn’t know what else to do. She didn’t want to hide it from him. Hell, she didn’t even know if she could. All these shifter senses were so new to her. She barely knew how to be a shifter, let alone a pregnant shifter. But already she could feel her body changing. She needed to talk to Cali and find out how much time she had.